BASKETBALL: BT Lasers and Brightlingsea Sledgehammers continued their unbeaten starts to the season in the Ipswich and District Basketball League.Sledgehammers were the first team to win on the road.

BT Lasers and Brightlingsea Sledgehammers continued their unbeaten starts to the season in the Ipswich and District Basketball League.

Sledgehammers were the first team to win on the road.

PCI Mustangs were Lasers opponents, playing their first league match and they gave Lasers a stiff test in a game of several lead swings.

Mustangs had much the better of the first quarter leading by ten at one stage as Manhertz quickly used his experience of national league basketball to rattle in ten points.

Lasers own 'points machine' Kamariotis kept his side in the game with seven points in the first quarter and a strong start to the second quarter saw Lasers hit 13 without reply with Ariyo and Hale proving they are not a one-man team.

Half time saw Lasers holding a slender four-point advantage. The third quarter saw neither team able to gain any advantage although Stafford and Wilson stepped up the scoring for Mustangs.

In the early stages of the final quarter Lasers pulled out a seven-point advantage which Mustangs narrowed to four with less than five minutes remaining.

Then Manhertz and Walker fouled out for Mustangs and Lasers pulled away to win by nine.

Copleston 1 made it two wins in a row when they saw off Holywells in a bad-tempered affair at Copleston Dome.

There was nothing to separate the teams in the first quarter of a high-scoring game with Hall scoring well for Copleston and Nick Newman replying for the visitors.

The second quarter saw Holywells really step up as Taylor supported Newman well on offence and at half time Holywells had a 15-point lead. To their credit Copleston came out strongly in the third quarter with Rudd and Pearce scoring well and they edged ahead by three going into the final quarter.

The momentum continued to swing Copleston's way as they hit 16 without reply in the final quarter but with Carson fouling out for Copleston closely followed by O'Connor for Holywells the game was by no means over.

Holywells pulled back to within five going into the final couple of minutes but the home side kept their discipline to keep them just behind the leading two.

Holbrook Eagles have now made two fruitless trips to north Essex and must be pleased that they do not have to travel that way again this season as they came away from Colchester Hornets empty handed.

The first quarter was fairly even with Hornets just shading it by five. Nick Drane was shooting well for Holbrook with the Syrett brothers replying for the Hornets.

Hornets effectively sealed the game in the second quarter as they opened the gap to double figures and with Keeling hitting double figures for the Hornets in his first game for two seasons they eventually pulled away to win by almost 20.

Brightlingsea Sledgehammers continue to contest the top spot in the league with BT Lasers as they maintained their unbeaten start with a win at Gainsborough but at the time of going to press details of the game are not to hand.

Basketball results

Copleston 1 102 (Hall 30, Rudd 23, Pearce 22) Holywells 91 (Taylor 26, N.Newman 25, Lister 12)

BT Lasers 70 (Kamariotis 18, Peters 14, Ariyo 13), PCI Mustangs 61 (Manhertz 22, Wilson 15, Stafford 13).

Colchester Hornets 97 (A.Syrett 22, N.Syrett 19, Keeling 16), Holbrook Eagles 78 (N.Drane 26)